Newbery Medal Winner
When You Trap a Tiger
by Tae Keller
Summary
When Lily moves with her family to her ailing grandmother's home, she encounters a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales, who offers a bargain that could save the woman she loves. Tae Keller blends Korean myth with a contemporary story about grief, family secrets, and the power of telling your own story. The novel explores invisibility, bravery, and the way old stories hold truths about the people who pass them down.
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Historical Context & Significance
Tae Keller, the granddaughter of writer Nora Okja Keller, drew on Korean folktales she heard in her own childhood for the book.